Doctors launch general strike

Israeli Medical Association declares series of harsher protest moves following failure of its negotiations with Health Ministry, Treasury officials over employment conditions

Meital Yasur-Beit Or|Published: 06.20.11 , 07:31

The Israeli Medical Association has declared a series of new, harsher protest moves following the failure of its negotiations with Health Ministry and Treasury officials last week over doctors' employment conditions, starting with a general strike Monday.

"So far our sanctions have not been harsh, so they were hardly felt by the public," noted Dr. Efraim Zohav, chairman of the doctors' committee at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. "I believe the situation will change from now on."

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Dr. Zohav estimated that this time, the strike will have serious ramifications in terms of the treatment given to patients.

"This situation, which has been going on for quite a while, really frustrates me," he admitted. "But eventually, we want to give the public good service, and if we give up now – it's like we haven't done a thing."

'We want to give the public good service' (Archive photo: Tsafrir Abayov)

What to expect across country Monday

Public hospitals will not provide non-essential services, including psychiatric and geriatric hospitals. Hospitalized patients will be entitled to urgent examinations only.
Outpatient clinics and institutes in all hospitals will be closed.
Non-urgent operations will be canceled.
The strike will not include dialysis institutes, oncologic wards and fertility treatments, which will be provided as usual.
Claclist Health Services doctors will be on strike, but the clinics will be open as usual. IVF, oncology and gastroenterology treatments will be provided as usual, as well as lab, nursing, pharmacy, x-ray, physiotherapy and administrative services. Patients are advised to consult the HMO's call center at *2700.
In the Leumit Health fund, all doctors will be on strike, but nursing, pharmacy and physiotherapy services will be provided as usual. Patients are advised to consult the HMO's call center at 1-700-507-507.
The strike will include the Health Ministry's regional health bureaus and infant welfare centers, where vaccinations will not be given to babies.